


I Was A Teenage Billionaire

by FiveFootThreeInches



Series: The Billionaire Trilogy [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War repercussions still at play, Genius Peter Parker, May is worried, Morally Ambiguous Ross, Pepper is concerned, Peter can't catch a break, Post Avengers 4 AU, Teen Science Prodigy does not equate to teen business prodigy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-07-17 20:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16102976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiveFootThreeInches/pseuds/FiveFootThreeInches
Summary: Post A4. Thanos was stopped, the Gauntlet & the gems were secured, but at a grave price. In a move that shocked the world, Tony Stark had named Peter Parker the new Stark Industries owner, he turns 21. With dealing with his mentor's death, fake friends circling, political & military pressure increasing and competitors like the newly formed & mysterious OsCorp, how will Peter cope?





	1. The Will

**LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT**

I, Anthony Edwin Stark, being of full age and sound mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament. I hereby declare that this is my last will and testament and that I hereby revoke, cancel and annul all wills and codicils previously made by me either jointly or severally. I declare that I am of legal age to make this will and of sound mind and that this last will and testament expresses my wishes without undue influence or duress.

I am married to Virginia Potts, hereinafter referred to as my spouse. We are without any children.

I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint Jennifer Walters as Executor or if this Executor is unable or unwilling to serve then I appoint Matthew Michael Murdock as alternate Executor.

I hereby give and grant the Executor all powers and authority as are required or allowed in law, and especially that of assumption. I hereby direct that my Executors shall not be required to furnish security and shall serve without any bond. Pending the distribution of my estate my Executors shall have authority to carry on any business, venture or partnership in which I may have any interest at the time of my death. My Executors shall have full and absolute power in his/her discretion to insure, repair, improve or to sell all or any assets of my estate, whether by public auction or private sale and shall be entitled to let any property in my estate on such terms and conditions as will be in the best interest of my beneficiaries. My Executors shall have authority to borrow money for any purpose connected with the liquidation and administration of my estate and to that end may encumber any of the assets of my estate. My Executors shall have authority to engage the services of attorneys, accountants and other advisors as he/she may deem necessary to assist with the execution of this last will and testament and to pay reasonable compensation for their services from my estate.

I bequeath the whole of my estate, housing properties and the position of CEO of 'Stark Industries' to my spouse Virginia Potts. I also bequeath my personal effects (collection of vintage sports cars, watches, etc), whether movable or immovable, wheresoever situated and of whatsoever nature to my head of security Harold Hogan. I also bequeath main custody of the 'Iron Man' and the 'War Machine' suits to Col. James Rupert Rhodes, as well as any Stark Industries military/weapon paraphernalia. I have also allocated US$10,000,000,000 to be distributed among a list of charities to be decided by my spouse.

I fully bequeath all my ownership shares (63.1%) in Stark Industries to my intern and protégé, Peter Benjamin Parker.

I direct that my spouse Virginia Potts be in charge of Peter's stake in the company until he reaches the age of 21 years, with aid from the Executioners of this will. I declare that he and his aunt & guardian, May Reily née Parker, be granted housing in Stark Tower. I also declare that any and all debts be paid by the Stark estate

I direct that on my death my remains shall be buried at my parents' burial site, and all funeral expenses shall be paid out of my estate. I also declare that AC/DC's Back In Black album be played at a respectful decibel level for the duration of the funeral proceedings.

Signed on this 14th day of October 2017

at the location Avengers Compound in the presence of the undersigned witnesses.

SIGNED: Anthony Edwin Stark

WITNESSES

As witnesses we declare that we are of sound mind and of legal age to witness a will and that to the best of our knowledge Anthony Edwin Stark, the creator of this will, is of legal age to make a will, appears to be of sound mind and signed this will willingly and free of undue influence or duress. We declare that he / she signed this will in our presence as we then signed as witnesses in his / her presence and in the presence.

**Witness 1.**

Name: Dr. Robert Bruce Banner

Address: Stark Tower; 200 Park Avenue, Manhattan, NY

**Witness 2.**

Name: Colonel James Rupert Rhodes

Address: 7239 St Margarets St., San Francisco, CA 94110

Under penalty of perjury we declare these statements to be true and correct on this

14th day of October, 2017

at this location Avengers Compound


	2. It's A Wonderful Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter reflects on a hectic week

Life was really a funny thing for Peter Parker.

One minute, he was playing catch with his dad outside their modest apartment in Brooklyn, next he wad being dumped to his aunt and uncle in Queens in the middle of the night (later to learn his parents died in a plane accident). One minute, he's a nerdy high school student, constantly bullied by peers, next thing he has the proportionate strength and speed of a spider. One minute he's the personal intern of the richest man in science & technology...

Next thing he  _is_ the richest guy in science & technology.

Okay, maybe he isn't,  _yet._ but still...

He'd be the first to admit that he was one of the last people in Mr Stark's ("call me Tony, kid. 'Mr Stark' makes me feel like I'm in a business meeting") life he'd expect to be listed as the inheritor of the multi-billion dollar conglomerate, but here he was. 63.1% stake in the biggest tech company in the world. According to the last few years' earnings estimates and net profits (Pepper had made him start reading the business side of things even though he had no interest in it) that would amount to an average of $13 Billion a year going into his pockets. That, and a controlling stake in any and all business decisions that take place.

Needless to say, Peter had been feeling very overwhelmed.

It had already been a week since Tony...since the remaining Avengers succeeded in stopping the 8 foot talking grape with body armor. A combination of being in the Soul Stone and seeing a bunch of dead bodies around him (Tony's included) had left him dazed. He barely heard the explanations on how they won the battle after he was bundled into the quinjet and tended to by a Dr Helen Cho. He was returned to a sobbing May, who squeezed him hard enough that he began to suspect he wasn't the only one hiding powers in this family. Apparently, thanks to some quantum time travel whatever mystical/science combination she had forgotten about seeing him in costume without his mask. He would have told her again about Spider-Man, except after finding out he was one of those who got turned to dust, she'd been clingy all weak, and her already weak heart nearly completely gave up. He couldn't put her through more stress than she deserved. (One more person to keep secrets from).

About 3 days after his return, there was a public funeral for all the fallen heroes who died heroically in the second Battle of Titan. Hawkeye, The Winter Solider, Wong, Black Widow, and Iron Man were all commemorated as heroes. Peter didn't have the heart to watch the ceremony.

A couple of days after that, there was an official reading of Tony Stark's will. He had already at the Tower, he'd taken to performing the more mundane internship tasks around the building that Tony had spared him from as a means to keep busy and keep his mind off...things. At some point, he gets a call from Pepper telling him to drop whatever he was doing and come to the penthouse floor immediately. He'd arrived at the floor to see the serious faces of Pepper Potts, Rhodey, Happy, Dr Banner, Nick Fury (he really creeped Peter out), Agent Hill and an unfamiliar brunette woman.

"Is this him?" the brunette woman asked to no one in particular.

"That would be him, Ms Walters." Agent Hill responded.

"Parker," Fury grunted. "sit down. We need to talk"

"Director, are you breaking up with me?" he couldn't help it, he dealt with awkward situations using humor. At least it didn't go unappreciated, judging by the various smirks and snorts coming collectively from the gathered group. Fury, naturally, looked unimpressed.

"I like this one." The woman, Ms Walters, commented.

"Peter, sweetie, please sit down. Don't worry, you're not in any trouble, there's just something we need to discuss with you. Mainly, your part in Tony's will." Pepper finally chimed in.

He'd initially assumed Tony left him some science stuff, probably for his Spider-Man related activities or, knowing Tony some kind of college trust fund with a guaranteed position in his company once he graduated.

He didn't expect to be named the heir apparent to the whole damn business.

Apparently, there was going to be a press conference later that day to announce him (something about needing to announce the new owner as soon as possible for the sake of stocks). Fortunately for him, he wasn't alone in this as all the people present. Ms Walters, who he'd later learned was one of Tony Stark's official lawyers and Dr Banner's cousin, was gonna be his legal aid together with Mr Matt Murdock (who he knew as Daredevil and knew he was Spider-Man). The ensuing days since the announcement had been a blur of meetings about his position, schooling, the future of Stark Tech without the genius Inventor behind it, fiscal policies for the company, monetary distribution etc. He scheduled late that week to meet the board of investors for God knows what.

And he still needed to think about school.

Technically, he was smart enough to taken the SAT exam despite only being a 16 year old sophomore. But then, there was the small matter of his college major. He knew, for the sake of Stark Industries it would make sense to enter a more tech savvy field like mechanical engineering or robotics, plus he'd hung around Tony in his lab enough that he was more than competent in that field. But Peter's passion had always lay within chemistry. Ah well, he still had a bit of time to decide.

For now, he was enjoying a small reprieve after all the endless mee and drama. He hadn't even had the free time to go out on patrol. For now, he just stood by the open window of his bedroom, watching the city life below. He'd always loved the look of New York at night, with all the lights of the city casting a picturesque sight to behold. He let out a sigh, watching his breath fog up the window. He was mentally exhausted. Too much had happened in the span of one week, and he barely had enough time to fully process and deal with it all. Plus he was having trouble sleeping, because every time he closed his eyes, his mind would drift back to his death, then his the Soul Stone...

He grabbed his right hand to stop it from shaking. Then, he started slowly doing breathing exercises. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

He'd heard of PTSD before, he just never thought he'd start developing symptoms for it.

He shook his head and went to go sit down on his bed, turning on his laptop to watch some dumb YouTube videos to get his mind off things. Tomorrow was a new, stressful day. But he'd deal with each day as it came. For now, he'd just take it easy while he could and pray for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So here's the first chapter of one of the many multi chapter stories I have in my hard drive. This one I'm particularly excited about. For those of you expecting Peter's inheritance to make things easier for him and May...Hehehehe.
> 
> Even though the Avengers and a few other enhanced individuals (who'll remain unnamed, for now) do pop up regularly, there won't be a lot of Spider-Man related activities going on. Peter's gonna have alot on his plate: lowering of stock value (Tony Stark/Iron Man is a much bigger commercial draw, and a more trusted individual to investors than a perpetually flaky teenager), pressure to challenge OsCorp in the weapons facilities (they supply SHIELD and even the military, whereas Peter wants to focus more on medical advancements, cause he'd rather create things that help instead of hurt people, which aren't as profitable unfortunately), even more difficultly than usual going out as Spider-Man, needing to fill Tony's role as the Avengers gadget guy before OsCorp takes that place as well. Not to mention small bouts of PTSD. There's gonna be alot of corporate espionage, political intrigue and moral conundrums. It's gonna be a roller-coaster :)
> 
> Also, someone commented about potential fake friends and how Peter already has friends of his own...well it's hard to keep friends around when you're hardly there for them :)...
> 
> I already have an outline for this story, but if any of you have suggestions, preferences or things you'd wanna see drop a comment and I'll see if/how it can fit in.


	3. More Money, More Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter learns about the joys of dealing with board members, and has a nice but brief conversation with Pepper

"...which is exactly we want to propose an increase in the funding of military apparel. With Mr Stark gone, there's a protective void he's left over New York, and the world as a whole. Stark Industries still possesses a significant amount of goodwill in the weapons industry. Plus, with the recent invasion, a justification can be made for the creation of more weaponry. Our stock valuation is already unstable as it is, with a easily justifiable and properly executed reentry into our primary source of income for over 60 years prior to Mr Stark's understandable exit from it we can not only stabilize the company's influx of cash but also establish ourselves as leaders in a marketplace sure to see an increase in consumer demand over the coming months and years. Once we've stabilized ourselves, we can then foray into the world of biomedical advancements Mr Parker. Furthermore, with the deterioration of..."

Peter resisted the urge to bang his head on the table in complete boredom. He was currently suffering through a board meeting with 7 stuffy looking individuals and Pepper, listening to the adults drone on and on about numbers and figures he couldn't care less about. Even though he technically didn't need to be here, as he wasn't officially the owner until his 21st birthday, Pepper insisted he sit in on these meetings every now and then so that he could get a feel of how these things are handled, as well as who to watch out for once he officially took over. He couldn't fault her logic, but  _dear God_ were these things boring. It didn't help that he barely got any sleep that night, his hero complex dragging him out of bed before he could even sleep to go out and patrol. No wonder Tony put these off as long as possible.

They had begun talking about future projects. Alot of Tony's proposed products we unfinished, and no one involved in the company had the ability to finish what Tony started within the allocated time. The investors were already antsy about potentially forfeiting and potential returns on their admittedly significant investments. Peter wasn't really listening, until they brought up weapons dealing. Pepper was already attempting to shut them down but ever since one of them (he didn't know who exactly) brought it up they all seemed to be united in this line of thinking. Of course, with him having the controlling stake and Pepper having control Ober said stake for the time being they had to first convince them to go ahead with this, a tough task indeed. In the middle of one of their rants, Peter had the audacity ( _note the sarcasm)_ to suggest medical advancements instead. This had prompted a seemingly unending exposition on why that was such a bad idea.

He looked out the window, wishing he could be out there patrolling the streets, helping people in a more tangible way than arguing with stuffy old people always looking to profit of anything for hours on end. Truthfully, he really wasn't cut out for business.

"-arker! Mr Parker!"

Peter nearly jumped out of his chair when he noticed he was being addressed. He awkwardly glanced around the room to see six unimpressed faces, one amused face, and Pepper's worried expression.

"Nice of you to join us again, Mr Parker." The one previously speaking,  _Mrs Cole_ his brain supplied, sneered at him in disdain. He flinched in embarrassment.

"As I was saying, the medical market, while admittedly honorable, is not entirely profitable enough to sustain this business in the short term."

"But To-Mr Stark ended Stark Industries weapons production and said he never wants the company to enter that field again. Is it really wise to ignore one of his main wishes for the company?"

Mrs Cole gave him a haughty smile. "Tony Stark alone could maintain such a model because he was, like his father, a once in a lifetime genius. There's no one in this company who could come close to him in the technological department, not even Dr Banner. As it is, we're already slowly losing our previously unassailable lead in the technological sector to OsCorp. From what we've gathered, Norman Osborn is as ambitious as he is intelligent, without Tony Stark's innovative mind the best way we can maintain a stable income source is falling back on what sells for the most."

As much as he didn't want to, Peter could see her point. Seeing his conflicted face, another board members decided to drive the point home.

"And besides," (Mr Jonesworth, his brain reminded him) "think about all the people we have under our employment. People with families, children, parents with medical bills. How many of those would we have to let go because of poor financial distribution?"

"Think of how many more innocents would suffer at the hands of monsters using weapons WE provided?" Pepper had already noticed the smarmy individuals looking to counter Peter's sense of morality by appealing to his sense of compassion. She was not about to let that happen on her watch. Truthfully speaking though, she suspected something like this would happen which is exactly why she asked Peter to be here. To know how to deal with manipulative personalities. "Have you people no soul?"

A redhead female scoffed at Pepper. "We're simply trying to advise the boy on the best route for the company, Mrs Stark. His intentions may be noble, but ultimately not financially beneficial. He was Tony Stark's intern, surely he's smart enough to understand that, right Mr Parker?"

A beat of silence passed until all eyes turned to Peter, who's head was on the table.

"Mr Parker?" Mrs Cole rolled her eyes muttering something about teenagers.

"Mr Parker!" still no response

"Peter?" Pepper called, now worried. She reached out to pat him, only for his hand to shoot out at an improbable speed and grab hers. There were collective gasps of surprise heard around the boardroom. Pepper's eyes widened as she noticed the hand Peter used to grab her was shaking intensely.

She'd spent enough time with Tony after the infamous Battle Of New York to recognize the signs of a panic attack.  _Must be front what told me about his death on Titan._  Her heart broke for him, but her sensibilities immediately reminded her that he needed to get out of there.

"Meeting's over for today." She said sharply. The board members looked warily at her and Peter, but she wasn't paying them any attention. She was whispering breathing exercises that she developed with Tony for whenever he went through the same thing. After a few minutes, he eventually calmed down. She looked up at the ceiling, a needless action but at this point it was instinctual.

"JARVIS, get me Dr Helen Cho."

* * *

Peter was sitting in the Med Bay, with Pepper watching him. Dr Cho had looked over him and told Pepper what she had already known to be true, Peter had a panic attack. She had told them that Peter needed to relax for a bit, meaning no more stressful board meetings or anything of the like. His aunt was currently asleep, as like Peter she had been suffering from mild insomnia over Peter's supposed death. Pepper would have contacted her except that Peter asked, no  _begged_ her to let his aunt sleep seeing as it was his fault she couldn't sleep in the first place.

Amazing, he dies horribly and sufferers PTSD but he feels guilty over how what he went through affected his aunt. The boy was truly too good for the cutthroat corporate world he'd found himself in.

"So, you wanna talk about what happened?" Peter shook his head, bit she expected that already.

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't. But sweetie, I need to know, was there anything in particular that triggered it?"

Peter was quiet for a while, but just when she was beginning to think he wasn't going to respond he whispered almost too quietly for her to hear. "When you said soul. I don't remember much after that but it reminded me of being trapped in the Soul Stone, and I-" He choked slightly and Pepper immediately rushed to his side rubbing his back.

"It's OK Peter. You don't have to say anything else for now."

"Heh, h m guess I kinda blew the meeting huh?"

"Don't worry about it. Between you and me, Tony wasn't the only one who hated those things" she responded with a smirk which Peter returned shyly.

"You think this will make them think I'm weird?"

"I think they already think you're weird, Peter. But that's only because you're a teenager" Peter chuckled at that then lay down. Pepper caught the hint and stood up to leave. "You know Peter, it's you shouldn't bottle things up all the time, no one man can manage that. I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable doing, nut just remember; there are many people here who are on your side and want what's best for you. If you ever need anything, you can talk to us. We care Peter." She ended her speech with a warm smile directed to him, then turned around to walk away.

Just as she had opened the door and was halfway out of the room Peter's voice spoke up. "Mrs Stark?" She immediately turned around to look at her late husband's Apprentice. He was quite for a moment, then gave her a small but sincere smile.

"Thanks. For everything."

She returned his smile with a much bigger one of her own. "It's why I'm here, Peter." She turned around to leave again. "And call me Pepper. 'Mrs Stark' makes me feel like I'm in a business meeting."

Peter smirked at her, then responded. "Okay then, Pepper."

She blew him a kiss, then closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after much deliberation I'm planning to make this a trilogy. Although, whether or not I actually post will depend on the response this story gets. I already know how it's going to end, but I'm just not sure whether or not people will like what I've planned. Either way, this will still be a self contained story and won't end with any cliffhangers so even if I don't post a sequel it won't leave any dissatisfaction.
> 
> Next Chapter: Peter goes back to school, plus Avengers & SHIELD meet a certain someone....


	4. Everybody Wants To Rule The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHIELD's new liaison and the Avengers meet a potential tech supplier while Peter finally goes back to school

Norman Osborn was a happy man.

Tony Stark's death had left a vacancy at the top of the scientific conglomerate pile and while he was truly grateful for all of Stark's heroics and believed he died with honor, he was still a businessman first and foremost. The vacancy Stark left was causing a scramble amongst many companies (AIM, Roxxon and HammerTech to name a few), but he was determined to emerge ahead of the pack and push OsCorp to the forefront of the scientific community. And what better way to make his head start than succeeding in his pitch to his present company.

It was a known fact that Stark Industries was the main supplier of Avengers tech before the infamously dubbed 'Civil War', and while for a short time Wakanda was revealed to have provided some backing, they were forced to pull support for political reasons after the newly revised version of the Accords that the New Avengers had recently signed. The rules that stated that the Avengers would be utilized as a separate entity answerable to SHIELD only (which had been rebranded as a United Nations peace keeping division independent of jurisdiction from any single world government but made up of various national representatives). The general needs of the group were too expensive for the world governments to foot the bill, so independent contractors were being sought after. General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross had been instrumental in the revision of the Accords, and he was here now as a liason from SHIELD as well as a point of reference to the Avengers given their recent history. He felt his heart thumping in his chest, anticipation surging through his veins. If he succeeded with this pitch, OsCorp would develop affiliaions with the Avengers, the world's premier defense unit and basically celebrities that would not only validate his public appearance but also boost his profile through the roof. People loved the Avengers after all, and a large chunk of Stark Industries profitability was Tony Stark. Hopefully, the Avengers could do the same for OsCorp.

They were currently in the armory, filled to the brim with various weapons in states ranging from fully developed and ready to use, to simple drawings and designs in their earliest stages. Realistically speaking, it was impossible to finish all the designs on such short notice. But, hopefully if they were won over by the ones that were they would have good faith in those that weren't.

"So, as you can see ladies and gentlemen, OsCorp is fully capable of not only facilitating the Avengers' various requirements at the highest level of quality buy also producing them at an accelerated rate. Our futuristic state of the art OsCorp tech is advanced enough to aid them in assessing and dealing with any and all threats." He made a sweeping gesture with his arms over the various gadgets and weaponry around the room. "We at OsCorp are fully committed to protecting the Earth in any way we can. We realize the Avengers have the superior abilities to protect, and we at OsCorp have the resources to aid in that. We sincerely hope that we can form a lasting partnership with you."

Norman eyed the various individuals in the room to gauge their reactions to his declarations. Colonel Rhodes and Sam Wilson (War Machine and the Falcon, he reminded himself) looked intrigued at the weaponry. Of course, he expected that of military men. The strange one, Wanda Maximoff, looked unsure of all the technology. Understandable, given what his research had shown of her history, but he also took into account her previous bad press from the infamous Avengers Civil War. He suspected that with prompting from the others she'd eventually acquiesce. The beautiful blonde, Carol Danvers (another military persona) looked particularly interested in the newly designed quinjet. He'd designed that with her particularly in mind, knowing of her previous history as a pilot. Then there were the insect duo, the aptly named Ant-Man and Wasp. Scott Lang, being an engineer himself looked like he appreciated the designs of the tech like he'd anticipated. Hope van Dyne, however, he knew he'd be hard pressed to impress no matter what he came up with. Being the daughter of Hank Pym, you could only count on one hand the number of people on Earth who's scientific achievements could wow her. One was an Avenger currently not with them, another was an African princess, another was some crazy physicist with six or seven PhDs and the highest recorded IQ on Earth (something Richards, Randy or whatever. He couldn't remember) and the last of course Pym himself. Truthfully, Pym himself would have been the first choice for the role he's currently attempting to play, but his health has been failing him recently in his older age. Norman was no fool, he knew he couldn't one up Pym's tech, but he was counting on winning her Ober through 'earnestness' to be of help. The toughest nut to crack though, was the good Captain himself.

Captain America, or Steve Rogers was currently sporting the nickname 'Old Man Steve'. Whatever shenanigans the Avengers had gotten up to in order to save the planet caused him to start aging rapidly. However, despite being older he still maintained a physically imposing figure. Hi arms were currently folded, looking at all the weaponry in suspicion. That suspicious look, coupled with his aged looks made for quite the humorous sight. But Norman knew how influential the Captain was to this team. It didn't matter if everyone else was willing to accept his 'goodwill', if Captain America didn't approve of him, he'd probably never be given their time of day again.

"This is all well and good, Mr Osborn. But isn't all the weaponry excessive? We're not going to war, here." As he'd expected, the Captain was the first to speak up. He was currently eyeing the designs for an armed helicarrier (inspired by the files his people ha decrypted from SHIELD's Project Insight-yes). Still, this was an easy enough question to start with.

He gave a faux abashed grin. "Those particular designs are only for potential Extra Terrestrial threats that may be encountered in the future. In the last decade, we've had two alien invasions, it'd be unwise to be unprepared for a potential third. These designs will be under lock and key, with said key being given to SHIELD of course, for use whenever you all deem necessary. They are simply extra measures."

Captain America still looked skeptical, but before he could possibly voice any more queries another voice spoke up.

"What about all the online data? Stark was unbeatable in software and encryption, how can we be sure our files will be secured?" Scott Lang. Of course that would be his question.

"Actually," Norman spoke up. "OsCorp will be working in tandem with the new UN SHIELD division as far as that goes. I won't bore you with all the technical jargon, but basically to hack the mainframe one would have to completely override both OsCorp's and SHIELD's mainframes but not simultaneously. And, even if someone manages the first part the other will immediately shut down and all files deleted. Although, every saved file on the mainframe will be automatically downloaded to an external hard-drive kept in a secure location that only the people in this room know even exist. Trust me, we won't need to worry on that front."

Carol then made her query. "What about costs? Surely none of this will come cheap, and SHIELD's gonna be operating on a budget seeing as the Avengers aren't gonna be a regularly dispatched unit."

"Actually Captain Danvers, I'm fully funding all this from my own pockets. SHIELD won't have to spend a cent." He grinned here hoping that particular tidbit would win a few over and it did.

Hope however wasn't moved. "So what's in it for you Osborn? If you're not getting paid for any of this."

Here Norman offered them the closest thing to a real smile any of them had seen from him the far. "When New York was invaded all those years ago, my wife and son were in the city. I was in Boston visiting family, when I saw the invasion on the news. I tried calling her, she couldn't be reached. I tried booking w flight back to New York but all the airports had been close for security reasons. I was worried sick .I didn't know how my family was, if there were alright, if they were hurt, if they died..." He paused here and various looks of sympathy were given to him. "After two days of non stop stress, my wife finally called me from a new phone. My then ten year old son couldn't stop babbling about seeing Captain America, the man from his bedtime stories saving him from a 'big slimy thingy'. I was so relieved, and grateful, that they were okay. But it made me think about how many others couldn't say that about their loved ones that day. I knew that on that day if you lot hadn't stepped up when the world needed you, we'd all be dead. It inspired me. I won't lie to you, when I first started this company I was motivated by greed and selfish ambitions. But after that, I was moved. I re-evaluated my goals, and I decided that if I was blessed enough to make it so far, I should be able to step up like you did and help as many people as I can, however I can. That's why I'm offering my services free of charge. Because I want to be able to help."

The Avengers, as well as General Ross huddled together to discuss Osborn's offer. There was silence for a few moments, before General Ross spoke up. "Well I for one think this could be it. I admit Norman's plans aren't perfect, but there as close as we're ever gonna get." Steve sighed, but had to concede his point. Not everyone else did though.

Rhodey spoke up. "The last time some billionaire tried to sell the military some weapons, he was arrested for unconstitutional testing."

"That very well may be, but not every rich guy is a walking James Bond villain." Sam responded.

"I don't like it either, Sam. There's something about him I don't trust."

"Honestly Wanda, I don't trust dude much either. But he's the best we've seen. Besides, SHIELD's monitoring him. He'll keep in check."

"Maybe we should just go with him." Scott spoke up. Hope looked at him nervously. "Scott?"

"No, really Hope. Think about it, Sam's right. He's gonna be on a leash regardless. Besides, your dad can still look over the basic designs to make sure they're legit."

"See, the tic tac agrees with me."

"I got your back, birdman."

"...never call me that"

"I don't know, he seems kinda smarmy but he looks like he really wants to help." Carol interrupted the two. "Besides, he's doing it for free. That's gotta count on for something right?"

"I don't know, Carol. I don't trust him."

"Honestly General, I have to agree with you." Everyone seemed shocked at Steve of all people agreeing with Ross. Even the General himself seemed a bit surprised. "I don't trust him at all, but back in the war we'd sometime have to work with people we didn't fully trust or fundamentally agree with in the name of working towards a common goal."

"We're not at war, Cap."

"That may very well be Rhodey, but if the last few years have taught us anything it's to always be prepared for the worst."

General Ross smiled at this. "So it's settled then?"

Everyone looked at each other before Rhodey sighed. "Looks like General."

"Good." Ross nodded.

Hope leaned in towards Captain America and whispered under her breath. "Are you sure about him Cap? I'm not entirely sure I trust him. There's just something...off about him."

"I agree Hope, I don't trust him either. But let's just stick with him for now. If anything, at least Ross wouldn't back him if he didn't think he was good enough and Fury seems to agree."

Steve walked up to Norman, focus and determination seemingly emanating from his figure. Norman couldn't help but stand a bit straighter, Captain America had that effect on people. HeAlright, Mr Osborn. We'll take you on." He extended his hand towards him in offer of a handshake.

Osborn offered them a real smile and shook his hand. "Don't worry, Captain. I promise you, you won't regret this."

* * *

Peter kept his head down as he walked through the school hallway. Various whispers were circulating everywhere he passed (although with his advanced hearing said task of whispering was rendered futile, not that they knew that) and reduced to silent stares whenever he walked directly passed them. Most high schoolers his age would relish in being the center of attention, especially for the reasons his current predicament was reliant on in the first place. For an introvert like him, it was a living nightmare.

"-you hear? Parker's gonna be the new owner of Stark Industries!"

"...dude's probably gonna get all stuck up like that Osborn kid, Harry or whatever."

"I wonder if he's single?"

"I bet he's probably got security following him everywhere! I bet there hiding in the school right now!"

To be fair, there  _were_ a few SHIELD agents that occasionally guarded Tony when he was alive staking out the school, and he was 99 percent certain that the new Advanced Calc teacher was SHIELD.

He was grateful when he reached his locker, feeling fortunate that none of his locker neighbors were currently at theirs until he noticed two of them standing at the water fountain a few feet away from their lockers, eyeing him warily. He mentally sighed at this. Just because of his recently acquired wealth doesn't mean he's some unapproachable demigod. Seriously, was  _everyone_ gonna be weird around him?

"Peter!"

He couldn't help the relieved smile that graced his features at hearing the familiar voice. Finally, a familiar face. Someone who wouldn't treat him any differently. He turned around to face his best (only) friend at Midtown High.

"Hey Ned." He waved lazily.

Ned came up to him, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Dude, where have you been?! I mean, one second you're on the bus, then Spider-Man goes to fight those alien thingys, then yo-he gets taken to space, then Stark comes back and says Spider-Man is dead, then you're not dead but Stark dies, then I see you're face on news as the new Stark Industries owner, and you didn't return any o my calls at all!" Ned was breathless after his rant, some people in the hallway quickly sidestepped him, not really paying attention to what he said (missing the slip in tongue at connecting Peter to Spider-Man) but were significantly freaked out by his manic energy. Peter looked around worriedly to make sure no one noticed Ned refer to him as Spider-Man, and after confirming no one seemed to turned back to Ned.

"Dude, you need to chill out!" He whisper yelled. Ned had noticed Peter's worried expression and after having calmed down, began to feel guilty at remembering what he'd said. "Sorry Peter."

Peter gave him an understanding smile. "It's ok man. Just, try to keep all that-" He gestured his arms around Ned's body in amusement "-in check. It'd be a shame if people heard things they shouldn't."

"The whole world already knows you're gonna inherit Stark Industries. What other big secrets could you possibly have to keep, Peter?"

The familiar monotone drawl made both Peter and Ned whip their heads around comically in surprise at the sudden appearance of one Michelle Jones.

"How the hell do you move around so quietly?! Are you some kind of ninja?"

"Yes Ned, I am in fact a teenage ninja undercover in an American high school. Here to investigate shady individuals." Here she gave Peter a pointed look as he did his best to look innocent.

Ha ha ha. Very funny, Michelle. Seriously though, how'd you do it?" Ned was doing his best to distract Michelle from her previous line of questioning, and Peter was truly grateful.

"Simple. I don't want to."

"...you don't want to."

"Yes."

"So you can will your body to be completely silent?"

"You can't?"

"Michelle. No one can."

"Whatever loser." She ignored Ned's undignified squak and turned to Peter. "Well? What other big secrets are you hiding Peter?"

"Uh..." Peter blanked, not sure how to respond (he almost missed Ned's muttering of 'why is he Peter when I'm still loser'). Michelle always had that effect on him. Maybe it was because she always seemed to know when he was lying or hiding something, either way it wad unnerving. Fortunately for him, Ned intervened.

"Company policies Michelle. I'm sure even a hipster like you could understand that."

"What'd you call me, loser?" Ned immediately squeaked and hid behind Peter, who just rolled his eyes. Although, he was grateful for the save so he let it slide.

"That true, Peter?" Michelle's eyes were fully trained on him. "Uh, y-yeah. Company policies. What he said." He stammered awkwardly. Michelle levelled him with a look, eyes unreadable, before she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She flipped her hair. "Anyways, why have you been AWOL all week, Peter?"

"Security reasons and stuff. Plus a bunch of things needed to ironed out at the company." He shrugged his shoulders

"Well, you could've at least called or texted. Ned's been worried about you all week."

Ned peeked his head up from behind Peter's shoulder and grinned at her. "And you weren't?"

She glared at him, causing him to squeak again and go back to hiding himself completely behind Peter. Peter chuckled at his friends' (if one could call Michelle Jones a friend) and shrugged helplessly at Michelle. "Like I said, security stuff."

She huffed, then shoved the file in her arms towards Peter.

"What's this?"

"All your homework and assignments from the days you missed."

"Oh. Uh, thanks."

"Whatever." She muttered. She eyed him with a serious expression. "But you're okay, though?

"As ok as I can be, all things considered." For a split second what looked like an expression concern flashed on her face, but it was gone so quickly Peter doubted it was ever there in the first place. "Well I'm gonna go now, can't be late for class." She turned on her heel and disappeared as quietly as she appeared. Ned peeked out from behind Peter noticing the extended silence. "Seriously, I gotta learn how she does that."

Peter chuckled at his friend. "Maybe if you ask nicely she'd actually tell you."

"Yeah right." Ned snorted. "The only person she'd tell is you. You're the only one she's ever even remotely nice to." Suddenly a proverbial light bulb seemed to turn on in Ned's face and he smiled mischievously. "Maybe she likes you Peter."

It was Peter's turn to snort. "Yeah, and maybe she's really an undercover ninja." Just then the school bell went off. "In any case, she's right. We gotta go before we're late for class."

Peter put his arm around Ned's neck and they walked off to class together.

* * *

Osborn was pouring himself a drink in his office, a self congratulatory toast to himself on a job well done. He poured a drink for himself, and filled another glass for his coming guest. Whilst in the middle of filling the second glass, he heard the familiar sound of leather shoes enter the office. He grinned at this. "Would you care for a drink, General?" He offered, turning around with the smile he used to charm prospect investors and buyers. Ross, however, was an army man, well versed in human behavior and manipulative tactics. So instead he just raised a brow at the offered beverage."

"I'm alright, Norman. Thank you."

Osborn shrugged and downed both glasses himself. "I think that went rather well, don't you?"

"The Avengers seemed to have, for the most part bought your pitch. Captain America was naturally suspicious, but I was able to manipulate his line of thinking to simply pointing out your a salesman so naturally you'd try to sell your products the best way you can."

Osborn smiled and offered a mocking bow. "You have my gratitude."

"I don't need your gratitude. I would l, however, like to see some tangible results for all my string pulling. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy to convince the Avengers to sign the new version of the Accords, let alone get them to trust you given my personal vouching. So I better see some damn results Osborn. I want what we discussed."

Norman said nothing, but maintained his smile while pulling out a file from his drawer and handing it to the General. Ross said nothing while he read it over for a few minutes. Afterwards, he handed the file back to Osborn. "This is interesting."

"That's putting it mildly, it's revolutionary."

"If it succeds."

" _When_ it succeds, General."

Ross eyed him warily, not remotely buoyed by his apparent confidence. "Are you sure you're up to the task Osborn? Greater minds than yours have tried and failed"

Osborn simply smirked at General Ross.

"Don't worry, General. Give me a few months and you'll have that which you truly desire." Ross eyed him with an unreadable expression. Then turned on his heal. "You have 8 months, Osborn. Don't make me regret this." He stopped at the entrance of the door and turned his head slightly in Osborn's direction. "Because if I regret this, you will  _severly_ regret wasting my time." With that, he was gone.

Lesser men would fear such wording, but Osborn didn't get where he was by fearing every little threat thrown his way. It wasn't that he didn't think Ross was someone who wouldn't follow up on his threat, quite the opposite actually. It was that he was confident he would never have to. He pushed the green button on his desk.

"Mrs Hardy, please fetch me Dr Smyth."

"Yes, Mr Osborn." came the reply.

Osborn smirked and wrung his hands in eager anticipation, eyeing the file on his desk labelled 'Project GREEN'. Working with the Avengers would no doubt push his company to the forefront of public awareness. But if, no when this succeeded it would truly be his pièce de résistance. After all, it had been almost 80 years. When he succeeded in recreating a version of the Super Soldier Serum he would truly be untouchable.

He smiled as he watched Alistair Smyth walk into his office. Most people working for him wouldn't be allowed such a luxury, but Smyth was particularly key to the success of Project GREEN so he held certain privileges. Just as long as he never forgot his place.

"You wished to see me, Mr Osborn?"

Norman grinned at him. "Have a seat my boy, we have plenty to discuss."

Norman allowed him to see the file on his desk, his grin never leaving his face and was pleased to see it returned after Smyth deduced the nature of this conversation.

Yes, Norman Osborn was a very happy man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure I'm satisfied with this chapter tbh. But at least I was able to establish a bit of a status quo for the major players of this fic. Also trying to make the characters act believable relative to what we know about them and not OOC for the sake of plot, so that at least the motives all round and believable and somewhat logically sound. Just incase it wasn't clear btw: General Ross still wants an army of Super Soldiers. He's enlisted Norman Osborn & OsCorp to aid in its production. In exchange, Osborn wanted a boost in his company's portfolio by gaining Affiliations with the Avengers (who Ross had conceded control over through the new Accords while acting as their liason in their 'best interests' in order to establish goodwill with them and to throw them off his scent). Let me know how y'all feel about my post A4 AU canon for the state of the Avengers and feel free to ask about anything else.


	5. Friend Or Foe?

Peter had just come back from a much needed patrol session around Manhattan. In between the stuffy board members (who  _definitely_ didn't like him) and all the unwanted attention at school, he was feeling cramped. Plus both May and Pepper kept hovering over him like he was going to break if left alone long enough.

(Maybe he was)

Honestly, the patrol did him good. It felt absolutely stress relieving to just let go of all his worries for a couple of hours and swing around the city (and honestly, New York was a spectacular sight at night). The wind blew across his mask, carrying with it the scent of saltwater from the ocean as a flock of birds flew around a few blocks from the Tower. He paused at the massive balcony and took a few minutes to enjoy the view, ignoring the problems waiting for him once he took off the costume and instead thought strictly about his self-appointed role as protector of the little guys. As Spider-Man , he was free to ignore his life as Peter Parker, and just embrace being the mysteries masked vigilante of the New York streets. Somehow, that had become the less stressful half of his life. He chuckled a bit to himself at the irony.

He couldn't help but wonder if Tony had ever felt as stressed as he did, or if he was just that incredible that he could handle all of this with that effortless charisma he often exuded. Maybe he did, maybe that's why he was prone to ditching board meetings and was so snarky to everyone, so that they hesitated to seek him out. Peter preferred to think his late mentor also felt like he did, somehow it made him seem more human and by extension made it seem less impossible for him to fill his shoes.

_MR PARKER, IT APPEARS YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS REQUESTING AN AUDIENCE WITH YOU IN THE LOUNGE._

Peter was pulled from his inner musings by the monotone announcement of FRIDAY. He frowned, his hopes for an interrupted evening to himself being shot down.

 _Who the heck would wanna 'request an audience' with me at-_ he glanced at his watch,  _10.45 on a school night?_ May and Pepper had made it abundantly clear that Peter was to be left undisturbed on school nights for anything barring serious emergencies after 10pm. Which meant that whoever was here probably shouldn't be kept waiting, no matter how much he wanted to ignore them. He sighed to himself, walking towards his (oversized) closet to find some clothes to put on.

"Tell them I'll be right down, Fri."

"YES, SIR."

"Oh and FRIDAY? Do me a favor and drop the whole 'sir' and 'mister' thing when we're alone. Just call me Peter."

"AS YOU WISH, PETER."

Deciding against wearing smart clothes (he may have been on a mission to be taken seriously, but he was slightly miffed that his evening was ruined) he thew on an old pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt and entered the unnecessarily large elevator (seriously, this thing was bigger than his room in May's old apartment!)

The whole way down, he absentmindedly drummed his fingers against his leg in a semi nervous, semi impatient state of mind. He decided against wondering who it wad and what they wanted to avoid over thinking things and royally screwing up (again). When the elevator  _dinged_ indicating his arrival, he put on the fake welcoming smile Tony had once shown him and mentally prepared for inane small talk. However, his fake smile immediately dropped when he stepped out of the elevator to come face to face with a nervous looking Pepper.

Pepper was never nervous, at least not in front of him. Something was  _very_ wrong.

His spider-sense gave a faint buzz in the back of his mind. Not nearly powerful enough to be a serious threat, but the fact that it wad triggered set him on edge. Pepper gave him a small but shaky smile. "Peter, honey, sorry to disturb you. But there's some gentlemen here who would like to have a word with you."

"No need to make us seem so ominous to the boy down, Mrs Stark. He's done nothing wrong. He just have some pressing information we need to pass on to him."

Peter's ears perked up at the unfamiliar, but authoritative voice behind him. He noticed Pepper's face pinch into a frown as she put her hand on his shoulder, as he noted two pairs of footsteps walk up to him. He turned around and was stunned at the two figures behind him. The older man stepped forward and shook his hand. Even with his enhanced strength, he still felt the firmness in the handshake.

"Peter Benjamin Parker I presume? We haven't formally met, although I believe you are familiar with the Captain over there." Peter dumbly looked at Captain America in full uniform sans mask, who gave him an acknowledging nod "Pleasure to see you again, son." He offered, not unkindly.

The older man continued, ignoring Captain America. "My name is General Thaddeus Ross, Director of SHIELD an the United Nations official liaison to the Avengers. We need to have a chat about Norman Osborn of OsCorp."

* * *

The current party of four had moved to the expansive living room. Peter was practically on pins and needles, fidgeting around nervously and almost wanting to avoid eye contact. His previous plans to appear more mature went flying out the window when General Ross introduced himself. Despite his best efforts to keep his mouth shut, after his introduction he could stop himself from quipping about him having a stupid long name, which prompted the most unimpressed raised eyebrow he'd ever experienced (On the plus side, at least Steve and Pepper found it funny).

However, he was saved from any more awkwardness by Ross speaking up.

"How familiar with OsCorp and it's founder are you, Mr Parker?"

Peter shrugged in response. "Nothing beyond what's already public knowledge. It's a fast rising tech business that specializes in biochemistry and engineering, and Norman Osborn is some kind of science expert I guess." He refrained from geeking out about some of the advances they're had made in medicine, he got the feeling no one present would appreciate it.

Ross nodded at this. "That's all true, but you forgot one thing."

"What's that?"

"Norman Osborn is a ruthless businessman. He's cold-hearted and ambitious to a dangerous degree, and he won't stop at anything to be number one."

Peter looked between the two older men. "Well I guess he sounds pretty iffy, but what does this have to do with me?"

"Osborn always viewed Stark Industries as the final obstacle today his goal. After Tony Stark's unfortunate passing, there was quite a bit of commotion around the fate of his business. So when some seemingly average high school student is handed the reigns to the largest privately owned company on Earth, all its competitors took notice."

Ross levelled his with a serious look. "Mr Parker, I won't lie to you, Osborn is gunning for you personally. He plays dirty, and he has next to no morals. Given Stark Industries' ties to SHIELD we take your wellbeing and safety very seriously. Osborn has been stalking you and tracking your whereabouts at all times. The SHIELD agents we deployed to watch over you reported this to us. However, we haven't intercepted his watchers yet because we're building a case against him. The Avengers have made OsCorp it's main supplier both to keep the financial stress of you guys and as an excuse to keep a closer eye on Norman. The Captain and I ha talked about it earlier, and the other Avengers are in the dark about this. We just came to tell you this because we need you to be aware of these things, lest you get careless and do something in public Norman can use against you and Stark Industries."

Peter swallowed audibly and buried his face in his hands. How could he be so stupid! Of course people were watching him besides those SHIELD agents. What if they know about him being Spider-Man? Would Osborn expose him? Blackmail him? Would he be forced to sign the Accords?

There was a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to come face to face with the reassuring eyes of Captain America.

"Son, don't worry about a thing. Just keep going about your business like you always have. Between SHIELD and the Avengers, we won't let anything happen to you or your loved ones. You have my word."

Something about Captain America telling you nothing will happen just seemed to make everything seem ok. Although, a large part of it at Peter's desperate hope that his big secret wouldn't be exposed. He gave Steve a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, ok. Thanks Cap."

"Anytime, son."

"Well now that that's settled," Ross announced, standing up. "I'll be taking my leave." He hands Peter an old looking phone (he can't help but imagine Tony being offended by such old tech. "This phone is specifically designed to reach my line and my line alone. Use it if you need to reach me, but only for emergencies."

"Ok dude-er, sir."

Ross ignores his slip and nods to Pepper and Steve before leaving. As soon as he's gone from the room, Pepper lets out a shaky breath.

"What an absolute creep."

Peter snorts. "Yeah Osborn doesn't sound so great either."

Steve smiles a bit, before turning serious. "Peter, I want you to be careful with Ross. I know he's helping us deal with Osborn but I don't trust him. There's something he's hiding."

Peter frowns. "Well if you don't trust him, why work with him?"

Steve gives him a dark smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Ross has a crazy amount of influence in the UN and SHIELD. Without him the Avengers as we know it would be an illegal group of vigilantes. For now we have no choice but to work with him, but let's just say that Osborn isn't the only one being investigated."

Peter nods and slumps further into the very comfortable (very expensive) couch. That would explain his spider-sense being triggered by Ross. Steve eyes him worriedly and shared a knowing glance with Pepper. He's concerned about how all this is affecting Peter, but knows that if he shows his concern Peter will feel guilty for making him worried and lie that he's ok. He decides for a more casual approach. "So, how's the high life treating you son?"

Peter can't help but grin. "It's a pain in the ass."

"You may have inherited Tony's money, don't inherit his loose mouth son."

Peter laughs a little at this, before yawning. Pepper eyes him knowingly. "You also can't inherit his terrible sleep schedule mister. Time for bed."

Peter is too tired to argue so simply bids them goodnight and heads up to his room. Once he's gone Pepper turns to Steve. "Are you spending the night, Cap? The guest room are still available."

Steve shakes his head. "I need to meet with Ross later tonight. But I'll be back tomorrow when he's out of school, I wanna talk to him."

Pepper nods in approval. Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Pepper"

* * *

As soon as Ross left the Tower premises, a victorious grin spread across his face. He walked towards the nondescript vehicle parked a few blocks down and took out a cellphone from his jacket. After two rings, there was a response from the other end.

_**"I assume everything is going according to plan, Ross."** _

"Of course. As we predicted, Osborn took the bait. His ego's far too big for his own good. Given the fact that I made it seem like I had to convince the Avengers to partner with him, OsCorp's resources are as good as ours. Plus his little 'experiments' are coming out of his pocket, so if they don't work out it's no loss on our side. And, with him as our fall guy when shit hits the fan we'll be able to absorb OsCorp completely for SHIELD's purposes. Which makes them as good as ours to use."

**_"I see. Just make sure that he completes Project GREEN before we dispose of him. How about Parker?"_ **

Ross snorts at this. "Parker? He's easy. He's young and naïve. He's floundering like a fish out of water, he'd latch on to anyone willing to help. He bought the whole spiel about Osborn stalking him. Stark kept him in the dark about alot, wanted to protect him from signing the Accords I presume, so he sees the UN ambassador and Captain America and thinks we're automatically on his side. The Captain may be, but that's no problem. He's clueless about alot as well. He doesn't know we know he's Spider-Man, so that's another point in our favor."

_**"Hmm. Be wary of Parker, General. Do not mistake his ignorance for stupidity, he's easily the biggest threat to Project GX. A mind like that with the resources at his disposal won't remain floundering for long."** _

"Oh please," Ross dismissed as he reached his car. He puller out His keys and unlocked it. "We've got Stark Tower on a leash. Their finances aren't as high as they used to be with Stark gone. Parker has-"

_**"You dare question my analysis?"** _

Ross gulped noiselessly, fidgeting with his car keys as he hesitated to open the car. "Of course not, I was just-"

_**"You were just agreeing to keep an eye on Parker, Ross. And waiting for further instructions."** _

"Indeed I was. What's our next move?"

_**"The good Captain is a bad influence to have on Mr Parker. He's currently informing him about his suspicions concerning your motives and warning him not to trust you. He's currently running an investigation of his own concerning you infact. He must be eliminated with extreme prejudice."** _

"But Captain America is a war hero, and the leader of Earth's frontline defense. We can't-"

 _ **"Of course, General. I understand. However-"**_ Ross finally opened his car and noticed the bomb waiting for him in the front seat. If he had to guess, it was remotely controlled so he wouldn't be able to run away in time to escape the detonation _ **. "-if sentiments are too strong for you, I'd be willing to take that into consideration and relieve you of such petty duties. There are others who can fill that role."**_

Ross sighed, knowing when he was beaten. "I'll deal with it."

_**"Very good. Make sure to tie his death to the illegal experimentation carried out by OsCorp. It gives you more leverage to confiscate their cargo. And general, do give him a hero's death. It's the least he deserves, after all he is a war hero."** _

"As you wish, sir."

The line went dead as Ross entered his car and started driving. However, he didn't put his phone away. Instead, he started scrolling through his contacts until he found the number he was looking for. He hit dial, and when the caller picked up he didn't bother with small talk.

"He wants the Captain dead. Bring out the Scorpion."

He cut the line without waiting for a response, and drove off to his office, knowing he wasn't getting any sleep tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So um, yeah...the reason this chapter took so long is... Yeah I got no excuses here. Just lost my muse for writing for a while. I'm back tho, and I have a rough draft of the entire story written already. Just a matter of editing and a few rewrites here and there. Anyways, more questions now! Who was Ross talking to? Why was he so scared of him? Who's supposed to bring out the Scorpion? Well, stay tuned to find out! Hopefully the next chapter comes out sooner than this one did lol


End file.
